Author's Note--I fully intended to get them on the road home this chapter, but then I realized there was a bit of sightseeing they hadn't done yet........
Elrohir and I made our trip back over the Silverlode to see the horses, and returned late that evening. I was able to tell the Prince the next morning that I had found both Caerith and Fortune to be well-fed, well-rested and full of themselves, and he grimaced a bit.
"You are going to have your hands full with them when we leave, Hethlin." I sighed.
"Indeed my lord."
There were four days before Arwen's escort was due to depart Lorien. It had been decided that the Prince would in fact travel with us, albeit in a horse litter. His embarrassment at being restricted to a mode of travel not in keeping with the dignity of a warrior was somewhat eased by the prospect of being able to see his family again. He was not to be in the horse litter initially, however. To spare him the fording of the Celebrandt and the Limlight, it had been decided that the escort would divide into two parts--the Prince, the Lady Arwen, Lord Elrond, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel and part of the guard would travel for the first week by boat down the Anduin, while the twins and I and the rest of the guard traveled with the litter and the additional horses down the west riverbank. We would all camp together at night and the two seperate parts of the party would eventually rejoin and travel by land by way of the South Undeep, the valley where the Wold and the Downs met in Rohan. From thence, we would skirt the Downs, cross the Entwash at the Entwade,and take the road to Edoras. From Edoras we would proceed on the Road to Minas Tirith.
Those last four days in Lorien I fell into something of a schedule. I would awaken, breakfast, take my lesson with Lord Celeborn, and then attend upon the Prince until the mid-afternoon. The Prince began to teach me to play chess as he had promised, and if he disapproved of what Elrohir and I were doing, I never heard a word about it. But while he was cordial enough, a certain friendly ease that had characterized our relationship was gone, and it seemed as if he were consciously distancing himself from me, becoming once more the lordly ruler of Men who had so intimidated me on our first meeting.
His relationship with the Lady Arwen, however, was flourishing mightily, and rather to my surprise, I would find the Lady Galadriel sitting with him upon occasion when I came to him. Two days before we left, Lady Arwen came down to keep us company during my daily chess lesson (or my daily chess humiliation, which was a more accurate description), bringing her wedding dress with her to work upon while we talked. It was absolutely the single most stunning garment I had ever seen, a soft, shimmering white, embroidered all over with white silk and silver threads in patterns of twining leaves and flowers, shimmering with crystals and tiny pearls. There was but a small gap remaining to be embroidered along the hem, and it was that she applied herself to, her needle flashing in and out, leaves and flowers seemingly growing as if by magic in its path.
"That is truly marvelous, my lady," I told her, genuinely impressed. Ladies' fashions were not generally an interest of mine, but I could appreciate craftsmanship when I saw it. She proferred it to me that I might examine it more closely, but I backed a step away, shaking my head, and holding my hands up.
"Sword calluses. Bow calluses. Bitten fingernails. That would be a bad idea, lady." The Prince chuckled.
"I see we shall have to acquire a good, sturdy dress for you to practice in," he remarked blandly, a twinkle in his eye.
"My lord?"
"Part of the polishing process the King has requested is familiarizing you with womens' clothing, Hethlin. Surely you do not think you can convincingly pass as a lady-in-waiting in breeches and boots?" I gaped at him, appalled, and he actually lifted his head and laughed out loud, the first truly mirthful noise I'd heard from him in a while.
"Oh, the look upon your face! Do not fear, Hethlin--it will not be so painful as all that! My wife's sister, Lady Tirathiel, will acquaint you with the necessary maneuvering. She is a very kind and patient lady."
"My lord, I've not worn a dress since I was seven years old, and my father deemed me big enough to draw a bow." His reply came in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Then Tirathiel will have her work cut out for her. But you will learn this, Hethlin."
"Aye, my lord." Somewhat subdued, I returned my attention to the chess board.
Elrohir would come for me in the middle of the afternoon, and we would spend our afternoons exploring the beautiful woods of Lorien, and practicing our archery. Our evenings were spent exploring other things. Joy he had promised that first night I had lain with him, and joy he had delivered--in the days that followed, he gave me much more pleasure in many divers ways, and bit by bit I relaxed enough to finally begin to try to give to him some of that pleasure in return. He seemed quite pleased by my efforts, and as for me--I had not realized how lonely my bed was till I woke warm in the circle of his arms.
Were we good for each other? I know that I could look into his eyes and see myself for the first time in my life, if not a raving beauty, then certainly comely and desirable. And I came to understand, also for the first time in my life, how it was that some women could only measure the worth in themselves based upon the worth of the man who had chosen them. Though the Steward of Gondor had never seen me as anything but his soldier and friend, one of the sons of Elrond had chosen me to be his lover from all the mortal and elven women of the world, and that did wonders for my self esteem. I found myself fussing over my hair and clothes in the morning. I even persuaded the silent maid who served me to trim my hair neatly. No longer feeling grubby, clumsy and inferior, I floated about the flets of Caras Galadon and the glens of Lorien without a care for the sylph-like, ethereal beauties who surrounded me, for it was me Elrohir of Imladris desired.
For his part, I think he derived a certain sense of accomplishment from showing me that the physical act of love could be pleasurable and a certain degree of comfort from my presence. His mood was much improved, despite the fact that he and his father were still at odds.
Although the Prince said nothing about our liaison, and always spoke most civilly to Elrohir when he came to get me, I would catch his eyes intent upon me now and again when he thought I wasn't looking, seeming to assess or measure me in some way. I got the distinct feeling that he was disappointed, and this both irritated and saddened me. I did not feel that I was doing anything wrong, so was irritated at this sign of subtle disapproval. And I was saddened, for the Prince was a man I respected greatly, and whose good opinion I wished to have.
"You think me a loose woman, don't you?" I asked him the morning before our departure, as I tried once more to play a game of chess that lasted longer than five moves. Prince Imrahil looked up in startlement.
"Why ever would you have that idea?"
"The way you've been looking at me the last few days, when you think I don't see." He seemed genuinely taken aback.
"You think I've been looking at you?"
"I know you have. Staring, really. Like you're disappointed in me."
"I am sorry if you feel I've been staring at you. It was not my intention to do so. As for being disappointed in you, or considering you a loose woman, I assure you that I feel neither." He stretched in his chair for a moment, knit his fingers together, and cracked the knuckles. I winced.
"Do you have any idea how many weddings I am going to have to officiate at when we return to Minas Tirith?" he asked me. "Every member of my personal guard who is not already married and has a sweetheart wishes to wed as soon as possible. And the ones who do not have sweethearts are investing their pay in Minas Tirith's brothels. You are no worse than any of my other soldiers, Hethlin--having escaped death and torment, you wish to remind yourself you are still alive in the best way possible. And as your Prince Elrohir noted, your infirmity gives you the freedom to do what another woman could not."
"I believe I would be more comfortable with the situation if you were involved with Eomer of Rohan, or some other mortal gentleman rather than an immortal elf-lord, and I worry for you and Elrohir both, but I do not deny you have the right to keep company with whomsoever you choose." I nodded acknowledgment, then stared at the board while he made his move. After a moment, I spoke again.
"My lord, how do you know if you are in love? Judging from how long it took me to realize how I felt about Faramir, I really haven't any idea when it happens to me." The Prince sat back against the pillows and pondered for a moment.
"That is a hard question to answer, Hethlin, for it seems to be different for different people. Faramir appears to be of the struck-by-lightning school--his attachment to Eowyn was very sudden and very profound. My own experience was rather different--the small, quiet voice of reason in my head that I very seldom listened to at that time of my life told me that Nimrien was the woman I should marry. I was a very wild young man." There was a moment's silence as I waited for him to expound upon this statement, and it stretched and grew. Finally, he looked at me with a gleam of humor in his eye.
"It is at this point that the loyal esquire is supposed to protest 'Oh, no, my lord, you could never be other than the industrious and responsible ruler you are! You could not possibly have been a rogue!'" I laughed, more at ease with him than I'd been in days.
"But I find it very easy to believe you were a scoundrel as a young man! Your bedtime stories hint at more than a passing knowledge of piracy!" He smiled ruefully.
"Alas, I am found out!" After a moment's deliberation, I made my move. "You should not have done that," he informed me, and showed me why, as well as suggested a couple of ways I could get out of the hole I'd dug myself. We played for a couple of moves without further conversation.
"Was your marriage arranged, my lord?" I asked him as he considered the board once more.
"Oh no, though Nimrien was on a list of ladies my father gave me that he considered suitable as potential consorts. I made him nervous--I was almost thirty, his only son, and still sowing wild oats with a vengeance. We grew up together. She was my friend long before she became my wife, and the only one who would dare tell the headstrong Heir of Dol Amroth that he was being an idiot. That, by the way, is an invaluable quality in a lover--it keeps you honest."
I contemplated the fact that I had thus far had no trouble telling Elrohir when I thought he was being provoking, and that he seemed to delight in pointing out my shortcomings to me. I wasn't sure if this was exactly what the Prince meant.
"If you have a great many questions about whether you are in love or not, then the odds are good that you are not," Imrahil continued. "Though the one question you should ask yourself is--'Does loving this person make me a better person?' For it is quite possible to love someone and be lessened or harmed by your love." He made his move after a moment's further consideration.
My thoughts turned then to Faramir. Under his tutelage I had learned to be a Ranger, learned courage and fortitude, gained the capacity to endure great hardship. He had taught me Elvish, and begun the process of turning the farm girl into a lady that the Prince was supposed to complete. And I did not think he had been harmed by my loving him, so by the Prince's criteria, he must have been a good person to love. I made my move in turn, and the Prince looked surprised.
"Well! You are learning!" He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the board.
"My lord?"
"Yes, Hethlin?"
"Why did you never remarry? Did your wife not wish it?" He started to answer somewhat absently, but after he made his move he gave me his undivided attention.
"Oh, no, quite the contrary--Nimrien told me before she died that she wanted me to find someone else."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Actually, I did look in earnest for a time. And what I found was that while there were any number of young women wanting to be the Princess of Dol Amroth, none of those ladies were interested in being a mother to my children. So I muddled along as mother and father both, and after they were grown, the whole thing seemed rather pointless."
"You were at the Morannon, and then that horrible orc arrow happened. Do you not have the same sort of feelings you were telling me the other soldiers have?" The Prince gave me a wry smile.
"You mean the part about wanting to prove to yourself you are alive and well in the best possible way?" I nodded, a bit pink about the cheeks.
"Ah me no, I got past that sort of foolishness a long time ago. Did more than my share of it in my youth, though. Guard yourself here." I moved, and his eyebrows quirked.
"I wish you wouldn't speak of yourself as if you were this old graybeard, sir."
"I am not a young man, Hethlin."
"But you hardly have one foot in the grave, either."
"Actually, a few days ago I did. If you had not called that Eagle, I would have died. And according to Lord Elrond, you put yourself in some danger doing it." The pink in my cheeks deepened to red.
"I didn't know that would happen. I just saw the Eagle, and had to try to call it--I was desperate. You looked so bad."
"I think I know you well enough now to say that even if you had known you could harm yourself, you would still have taken the risk. And while I deplore the fact that you could have been injured or killed saving me, I do thank you for my life." He took my hand where it lay beside the chess board, and raised it to his lips. With his other hand, he made his move.
"Checkmate." I looked down at the board and frowned, trying to determine just how he had routed me so handily this time.
"A funny way you have of showing your gratitude." The Prince chuckled at my disgruntled growl.
"I would do you no service by letting you win. I give no quarter on the battlefield, or on the chess board. If you ever defeat me on either, you'll know you earned your victory." He laid my hand back down gently, and gave me a hopeful look. "Shall we play again?"
That evening, we all sat to dinner at a farewell feast upon the lawn, not unlike the celebration that the twins and I had interrupted upon our arrival, except that this time long, beautifully carved trestle tables were set up, and the Elven musicians circulated among the tables, making sweet music. At the high table sat the Lord and Lady of Lorien. Upon Lord Celeborn's left hand sat Lord Elrond and his family, and upon Lady Galadriel's right hand sat the Prince, myself, and a tall, golden, magnificent elf who was introduced to me prior to dinner by Elrohir as Glorfindel. Thus was one question I had asked myself during our journey answered. My curiosity about Balrogs was also quickly satisfied by Elrohir, as he said it was not a subject I should discuss with Glorfindel. Rather intimidated, I smiled nervously at the very martial-seeming elf as we seated ourselves.
The Prince was dressed in Dol Amroth blue and a circlet studded with sapphires and looked, well, princely. As the King's representative, I was clad in my black and silver tabard and garments, mended of all their travel stains by the Elves. A circlet had been found for me as well--a slender thing with an eight-pointed star upon the front of it. It seemed a very elven piece of jewelry, but when I had gazed upon myself in a mirror before dinner, it had looked well enough upon my head.
Very conscious of my etiquette, I watched the high-born Elves and tried to emulate them. I'd spent many more meals in my life gnawing gobbets of meat off of sticks around a campfire than I had sitting to dinner in a formal setting, and my lapse in manners at breakfast several mornings ago had made me very self-conscious, particularly since it seemed that most of Caras Galadon was at this dinner. I did not want to make a fool of myself, and bring dishonor to Gondor. As a result, there was a knot in my stomach that kept me from fully enjoying the admittedly wonderful and delicate Elven food.
A little way into the dinner, the Prince leaned over, his head close to mine, and whispered in Westron into my ear.
"Relax, Hethlin. You're doing very well. If you weren't, I'd have told you by now." I gave him a grateful smile, whereupon he leaned past me, and addressed Lord Glorfindel in flawless Elvish.
"My lord, Lady Hethlin here has been a Ranger in the woods of Gondor for several years, and though she has some family in the North, has never had an opportunity to journey there. As I know that you are integral to the defense of Rivendell, and have had cause to work with the Dunedain, perhaps you could give her some idea of what life up there is like." The glorious golden Elf nodded kindly and began to address me in Westron, talking of orc-hunts and wolf-hunts in the North. This was a subject I felt comfortable speaking of, and before long I'd ceased eating not because I was nervous, but because Lord Glorfindel and I were busily diagramming out skirmishes we'd been in with nuts and grapes and fruit. He was very intrigued by the Mumak, and asked me many questions about them. I got the distinct impression that he thought a Mumak with a fully manned and armored war-tower upon it might, just might, possibly be an adequate opponent for him.
Once, I looked up and caught the Prince looking at me with a small smile and a twinkle in his eye, before he turned his attention back to the Lady Galadriel, and I had to admit to myself that I'd been handled most adroitly. I also saw Elrohir giving him a questioning look, that delicate elven eyebrow arched clear to his hairline. The dinner passed without further incident, and finally the Lord and Lady rose from their places, bidding the diners to stay and sing and dance. Elves hurried forward to begin removing the tables and dishes. Lord Glorfindel thanked me for a very interesting conversation, then strode off in the direction of a group of Elves I'd marked earlier as being of Elrond's household. I had not seen them much in evidence during my stay, but many of them were dark-haired, and they tended to group together.
"Hethlin, the Lady wishes to show me a wonder, and wants to know if you would like to come along," the Prince told me. He was getting stronger by the day, but still could not walk, and two elves had brought forward a chair sitting upon poles, that he might be carried.
"Do you wish me to, my lord?"
"You might find it enlightening." Elrohir came up at that moment, and slid his arm about my waist. He looked at his grandmother.
"The Mirror?" She nodded, very cool and austere of a sudden, even in the golden glow of the many silver lanterns.
"Do you want to go, Snowsteel?" he asked me.
"I think I should accompany the Prince, if he wishes it," I responded. He nodded, and made as if to start down the hill, but the Lady halted him with an upraised hand.
"Bide here, Elrohir. We will not be long." A look of surprise crossed his face, but as it had been with his grandfather, he accepted her stricture without protest.
"Yes, Grandmother." She gave him the tiniest of smiles.
"I promise that much of the evening will still remain for you to spend with your lady when we return." He nodded, and bowed, and left us to go to where his brother was sitting with a harp in his hands. The Prince indicated that I should assist him, and I put my arm about his waist and his arm about my shoulder, and he was able to move the couple of steps to the sedan chair and seat himself. Then one of the chair-bearers gave me a lantern to carry, and the Lady took another for herself. She gestured that I should follow the chair while she preceded it, and we started down the hill.
Only the faintest hint of blue upon the horizon showed where the sun had set, and the stars were bright. The city was rather quiet as we moved down the hill, away from the summit--truly it seemed that everyone who had not been to the dinner was now congregating upon the lawn for the dancing and singing. The Lady glided ahead of us noiselessly, her garments glittering palely. Even the chair-bearers with their burden were silent. I tried to walk as quietly as possible--the evening hush seemed to demand it.
The chair-bearers negotiated the stairs down to the garden without difficulty, though I was glad of my lantern. The hollow was dark indeed, and very quiet. The stars seemed to burn above us. The bearers brought the chair nigh to the pedestal that held the mirror, and set down their burden. I helped the Prince to his feet, and he made the step to the pedestal and braced himself upon it--gingerly at first, until he realized that it was well-anchored and would bear his weight. The Lady set her lantern down, picked up the ewer, carried it to the stream, and filled it with water. Then she returned, poured the water gracefully into the silver basin, and blew upon it. The water in the basin rippled in a rather peculiar manner, then became unnaturally still. The Lady spoke quietly in her low voice.
"We have spoken already, my lord Prince, of my Mirror, and what it does. So my question to you now is--is there some particular thing you would have shown to you, or do you wish to leave the Mirror free to work?"
"I have a thing I wish to see, Lady," said the Prince promptly and firmly. The Lady nodded, and turned her attention to me.
"Lady Hethlin, stand you here by him, in the event he should grow tired. You will not be able to see what he is seeing--the vision the Mirror grants is particular to the person using it. I will be able to see, for I will be directing the Mirror." I nodded in turn, and moved to stand beside the Prince. The Lady stood across the pedestal from the Prince, and directed him to look into her eyes.
"You need not speak aloud what it is you wish to see--simply think about it, and I will know." His grey eyes met hers, there was a moment's silence--and for the first time, I saw the Lady Galadriel look genuinely surprised.
"That is truly what you wish to see?" she asked him.
"Yes, lady, if it is possible."
"Some of it is possible, though I will have to assist you. To go so far back......." She took his hands in hers, and pressed them along the sides of the silver basin, her hands covering his. His weight upon his elbows, he leaned over the dark surface, and she did as well, their foreheads almost touching. "Do not touch the water," she warned him, then they both fell silent. I watched curiously. Light appeared to emanate from the basin, and played over both of their faces; the immortal and beautiful Elf lady, and the mortal Prince who had so nearly died, but when I looked into it I could see no light, but merely the stars shining in the night sky. It was a decidedly strange effect.
They looked into the Mirror for quite a long time, both gazes fixed raptly upon whatever it was they were looking at. Finally, the light faded, and the Lady raised her head. A moment later, the Prince did as well--and his legs promptly went out from under him. Fortunately, I was able to catch him, and at his request, ease him over to the chair, into which he sank with a sigh of relief.
"I am well enough," he reassured me, upon seeing my concerned look. "It has simply been a while since I was upon my feet for so long. But I would not have missed that for anything." He looked up and addressed Lady Galadriel. "It was worth being in peril of my life, lady, to see what you have shown me this evening."
She for her part seemed rather moved, though by what emotion I could not tell.
"I have upon rare occasions granted mortals the privilege of looking into the Mirror, and they almost always want one of two things--to see loved ones they have lost again, or to see the future that they might better discern what course of action to take about a matter. You choose neither--why?"
"My lady, my loved ones live brightly still in my memories, and I know that I will see them again one day--what use to view them once more in the Mirror? As for using the Mirror to determine how best to make Gondor or my own lands flourish--if men's hearts are true, and their arms strong, and they use the wits they were given by the One, then they will flourish without the use of prophecy. But this was an opportunity that will never come to me again, and I chose to use it to see what I could never have seen otherwise."
"Such wisdom is its own reward," said Lady Galadriel, and to my very great surprise, and that of the Prince's as well, I think, she glided over, stooped, took his face within her slender hands and kissed him on the brow.
"A stout defender of your kingdom you have been your whole life, Imrahil of Dol Amroth, and you will serve your new king well and faithfully for many years yet. And you will be rewarded, in ways you may not anticipate." Then she turned to me.
"And will you look in the Mirror, Hethlin called Snowsteel? You who believe that divination is never timely and useful?" I cast my eyes down, wondering if Lord Celeborn had told her of my words, or she had simply seen them in my mind.
"I will look, lady. And I would let the Mirror show me what it will." She nodded gravely.
"Very well then. Simply look into the water, and do not touch it." She did not move to position my hands and help me as she had the Prince. A little hesitantly, I leaned over the basin and looked in, seeing nothing but stars in night sky for a few moments. Then it seemed as if a grey veil had been drawn across the Mirror for a moment, and then the pictures came, so swiftly that it seemed I'd barely started looking at one before another came hard on its heels.
A young man who strongly resembled me, and who I realized was my father after a moment, sitting upon a huge boulder high upon a mountainside, seemingly eating lunch while a huge Eagle perched beside him. My father again, moving through a wood with another, more handsome man, talking and laughing with the apparent ease of long friendship. My father a third time, this time his arm bandaged, a younger version of my mother at his side, speaking to a younger and very concerned Aragorn. A much younger Prince Imrahil, standing in the prow of a ship, the spume flying over him, a smile of pure pleasure upon his face. Faramir, lying in wait in a ditch with Mablung. Faramir, dressed in black and looking ill, leaning against the door to what looked to be a library, his left hand bandaged. Eowyn in a garden with a black-haired toddler and another dark-haired baby in her arms. Elrohir and Elladan, riding armed up into the mountains. Elrohir, dressed in robes, standing in the doorway of a house with delicately carved arches, raising a hand in greeting. Elladan and Elrohir both, with Lord Celeborn, standing on a quay with a silver ship behind them. Prince Imrahil, his actual age now, sitting in a tent with his head bandaged, and an expression of grief so acute that I almost broke my contact with the Mirror to look and see if he were all right.
Then the visions changed, seemed to involve me more directly. I was on a grey horse, mail-clad, charging knee to knee down upon a rank of soldiers. Fighting back to back with someone in a forested area that looked like it might be Ithilien. I could not see my partner, but there was a glint of golden hair in the corner of my eye. Then I was lying on dusty ground, a brutal sun beating into my face, pinned by a dead mount, and struggling frantically to free myself. Riding slowly through what looked to be a large city on a pale and chill winter day, clad in a black velvet dress with something heavy upon my head, the King at my side. Standing behind the Queen and King in a room that was not of Gondorian architecture, again in a dress. Fighting a man in the livery of the Tower Guard, both of us using blunted swords. Dropping my bow, having spent my last arrow and going for my blade, in a narrow gap in what looked to be hills or mountains. I got the distinct impression that I did not expect to survive that one, that my enemies were still too numerous, and that all I hoped to do was to take as many of them down as I could before I fell myself......
With a gasp, I wrenched myself away from the Mirror.
"Hethlin, are you well?" Came the Prince's concerned question from beside me. I took a deep breath, and nodded. Lady Galadriel gave me a look which was, if not exactly compassionate, at least slightly warmer than her usual wont.
"Remember, lady, that if you leave the Mirror to work, it not only shows things that will be, but things that might be. And it can be difficult to determine which is which."
"I should have left such things to those who are wiser than I then, lady." She considered this for a moment.
"Perhaps. But you may find what you saw useful one day, even if you do not think so now." She gestured, and the chair bearers came forward, and lifted the Prince. I took up my lantern again, and she hers, and we began the long climb back up the hill.
When we reached the lawn, the party was at its height, the musicians playing dancing music, and the Elves winding about each other in graceful, intricate pattern dances. The Prince, whose eyes were still glowing from whatever he'd seen in the Mirror, expressed a desire to watch for a while, and was settled comfortably in out of the way of the dancers. He seemed to have recovered completely from his momentary collapse in the dell.
I looked about for Elrohir's dark head, but could not find it, and after walking all around the edge of the crowd, and receiving a grim look from Lord Elrond, decided to go on to bed. I liked dancing, but was more familiar with rustic human dances. What the Elves were doing looked complicated, and as if practice were required, and I was not in the mood to become an immortal object of amusement. So I mounted the stairs of the royal mallorn, and made my way to my flet. For some reason, the lantern was not lit, but after I stepped inside, I could discern a shape in my bed in the dim light, and a dark head upon my pillows.
"Why are you not downstairs dancing?" I asked Elrohir. "I looked for you." He stirred and rose up upon one elbow.
"Father was in a lecturing mood, and I was in no mood to be an audience. So I came here. How was the Mirror?" I began taking off my clothes and throwing them over the chair that was already full of his without answering. After a moment, he got up and padded noiselessly over to me.
"Are you well? Do you want to talk about it?" He laid his hands upon my shoulders. "Valar, Snowsteel, you are shivering."
"I should never have looked in the silly thing, but I didn't want to offend your grandmother. It's just as I always said--you don't learn anything useful, and you just get upset for no good reason." I finished hurriedly stripping off my clothes, and he led me back to the bed, and slipped under the covers with me. His arms came around me, and held me to him. I tucked my head under his chin.
"I think I saw the day I will die." His arms tightened, and his hand began stroking my back soothingly.
"Oh my poor dear. Surely you know that you can see things that are not going to happen?"
"So your grandmother says. If that's the case, it seems a useless exercise to me. I saw you, and Faramir, and Eowyn and the Prince. And I saw my father when he was a young man, and my mother too--that was a nice part. And then there were some other parts not so nice--mostly me fighting." Elrohir dropped a kiss on the top of my head.
"I wish she would stop dragging our guests down to that thing and just use it as a bird bath!" I giggled.
"That's what I thought it was when I first saw it."
"I know. Grandfather told me. It was the best laugh he'd had in decades."
"So glad I am to be an unending source of entertainment to the royal houses of Lorien and Imladris." He began nuzzling my neck.
"What did the Prince see?" he whispered into the crease of it, and I shivered for an entirely different reason.
"I'm not sure. He asked to see something in particular. Your grandmother was very impressed, said he was really wise. Whatever it was, he really enjoyed it. You have to figure," I grumbled, "that he'd do it right." Elrohir chuckled.
"You will be wise in time, Snowsteel." He then withdrew from me slightly, and gave me an unwontedly serious look, stroking my hair gently.
"Are you truly upset about this? If you are, we can simply sleep this night." I considered that possibility for a moment, then discarded it. We would not be able to be together like this upon the road, to the best of my knowledge, and after we reached Minas Tirith, who knew if we'd have the opportunity? Then I would be on my way to Dol Amroth, and we'd already had the Prince's dictate about that. I placed my lips close to his ear, and breathed into it, making him shiver in turn.
"I need to get the death out of my head. Show me what it is to be alive." His mouth came down on mine, his hands drifted coaxingly over my body, and he proceeded to do just that. Thus we spent our last evening in Lorien.
Elrohir and I made our trip back over the Silverlode to see the horses, and returned late that evening. I was able to tell the Prince the next morning that I had found both Caerith and Fortune to be well-fed, well-rested and full of themselves, and he grimaced a bit.
"You are going to have your hands full with them when we leave, Hethlin." I sighed.
"Indeed my lord."
There were four days before Arwen's escort was due to depart Lorien. It had been decided that the Prince would in fact travel with us, albeit in a horse litter. His embarrassment at being restricted to a mode of travel not in keeping with the dignity of a warrior was somewhat eased by the prospect of being able to see his family again. He was not to be in the horse litter initially, however. To spare him the fording of the Celebrandt and the Limlight, it had been decided that the escort would divide into two parts--the Prince, the Lady Arwen, Lord Elrond, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel and part of the guard would travel for the first week by boat down the Anduin, while the twins and I and the rest of the guard traveled with the litter and the additional horses down the west riverbank. We would all camp together at night and the two seperate parts of the party would eventually rejoin and travel by land by way of the South Undeep, the valley where the Wold and the Downs met in Rohan. From thence, we would skirt the Downs, cross the Entwash at the Entwade,and take the road to Edoras. From Edoras we would proceed on the Road to Minas Tirith.
Those last four days in Lorien I fell into something of a schedule. I would awaken, breakfast, take my lesson with Lord Celeborn, and then attend upon the Prince until the mid-afternoon. The Prince began to teach me to play chess as he had promised, and if he disapproved of what Elrohir and I were doing, I never heard a word about it. But while he was cordial enough, a certain friendly ease that had characterized our relationship was gone, and it seemed as if he were consciously distancing himself from me, becoming once more the lordly ruler of Men who had so intimidated me on our first meeting.
His relationship with the Lady Arwen, however, was flourishing mightily, and rather to my surprise, I would find the Lady Galadriel sitting with him upon occasion when I came to him. Two days before we left, Lady Arwen came down to keep us company during my daily chess lesson (or my daily chess humiliation, which was a more accurate description), bringing her wedding dress with her to work upon while we talked. It was absolutely the single most stunning garment I had ever seen, a soft, shimmering white, embroidered all over with white silk and silver threads in patterns of twining leaves and flowers, shimmering with crystals and tiny pearls. There was but a small gap remaining to be embroidered along the hem, and it was that she applied herself to, her needle flashing in and out, leaves and flowers seemingly growing as if by magic in its path.
"That is truly marvelous, my lady," I told her, genuinely impressed. Ladies' fashions were not generally an interest of mine, but I could appreciate craftsmanship when I saw it. She proferred it to me that I might examine it more closely, but I backed a step away, shaking my head, and holding my hands up.
"Sword calluses. Bow calluses. Bitten fingernails. That would be a bad idea, lady." The Prince chuckled.
"I see we shall have to acquire a good, sturdy dress for you to practice in," he remarked blandly, a twinkle in his eye.
"My lord?"
"Part of the polishing process the King has requested is familiarizing you with womens' clothing, Hethlin. Surely you do not think you can convincingly pass as a lady-in-waiting in breeches and boots?" I gaped at him, appalled, and he actually lifted his head and laughed out loud, the first truly mirthful noise I'd heard from him in a while.
"Oh, the look upon your face! Do not fear, Hethlin--it will not be so painful as all that! My wife's sister, Lady Tirathiel, will acquaint you with the necessary maneuvering. She is a very kind and patient lady."
"My lord, I've not worn a dress since I was seven years old, and my father deemed me big enough to draw a bow." His reply came in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Then Tirathiel will have her work cut out for her. But you will learn this, Hethlin."
"Aye, my lord." Somewhat subdued, I returned my attention to the chess board.
Elrohir would come for me in the middle of the afternoon, and we would spend our afternoons exploring the beautiful woods of Lorien, and practicing our archery. Our evenings were spent exploring other things. Joy he had promised that first night I had lain with him, and joy he had delivered--in the days that followed, he gave me much more pleasure in many divers ways, and bit by bit I relaxed enough to finally begin to try to give to him some of that pleasure in return. He seemed quite pleased by my efforts, and as for me--I had not realized how lonely my bed was till I woke warm in the circle of his arms.
Were we good for each other? I know that I could look into his eyes and see myself for the first time in my life, if not a raving beauty, then certainly comely and desirable. And I came to understand, also for the first time in my life, how it was that some women could only measure the worth in themselves based upon the worth of the man who had chosen them. Though the Steward of Gondor had never seen me as anything but his soldier and friend, one of the sons of Elrond had chosen me to be his lover from all the mortal and elven women of the world, and that did wonders for my self esteem. I found myself fussing over my hair and clothes in the morning. I even persuaded the silent maid who served me to trim my hair neatly. No longer feeling grubby, clumsy and inferior, I floated about the flets of Caras Galadon and the glens of Lorien without a care for the sylph-like, ethereal beauties who surrounded me, for it was me Elrohir of Imladris desired.
For his part, I think he derived a certain sense of accomplishment from showing me that the physical act of love could be pleasurable and a certain degree of comfort from my presence. His mood was much improved, despite the fact that he and his father were still at odds.
Although the Prince said nothing about our liaison, and always spoke most civilly to Elrohir when he came to get me, I would catch his eyes intent upon me now and again when he thought I wasn't looking, seeming to assess or measure me in some way. I got the distinct feeling that he was disappointed, and this both irritated and saddened me. I did not feel that I was doing anything wrong, so was irritated at this sign of subtle disapproval. And I was saddened, for the Prince was a man I respected greatly, and whose good opinion I wished to have.
"You think me a loose woman, don't you?" I asked him the morning before our departure, as I tried once more to play a game of chess that lasted longer than five moves. Prince Imrahil looked up in startlement.
"Why ever would you have that idea?"
"The way you've been looking at me the last few days, when you think I don't see." He seemed genuinely taken aback.
"You think I've been looking at you?"
"I know you have. Staring, really. Like you're disappointed in me."
"I am sorry if you feel I've been staring at you. It was not my intention to do so. As for being disappointed in you, or considering you a loose woman, I assure you that I feel neither." He stretched in his chair for a moment, knit his fingers together, and cracked the knuckles. I winced.
"Do you have any idea how many weddings I am going to have to officiate at when we return to Minas Tirith?" he asked me. "Every member of my personal guard who is not already married and has a sweetheart wishes to wed as soon as possible. And the ones who do not have sweethearts are investing their pay in Minas Tirith's brothels. You are no worse than any of my other soldiers, Hethlin--having escaped death and torment, you wish to remind yourself you are still alive in the best way possible. And as your Prince Elrohir noted, your infirmity gives you the freedom to do what another woman could not."
"I believe I would be more comfortable with the situation if you were involved with Eomer of Rohan, or some other mortal gentleman rather than an immortal elf-lord, and I worry for you and Elrohir both, but I do not deny you have the right to keep company with whomsoever you choose." I nodded acknowledgment, then stared at the board while he made his move. After a moment, I spoke again.
"My lord, how do you know if you are in love? Judging from how long it took me to realize how I felt about Faramir, I really haven't any idea when it happens to me." The Prince sat back against the pillows and pondered for a moment.
"That is a hard question to answer, Hethlin, for it seems to be different for different people. Faramir appears to be of the struck-by-lightning school--his attachment to Eowyn was very sudden and very profound. My own experience was rather different--the small, quiet voice of reason in my head that I very seldom listened to at that time of my life told me that Nimrien was the woman I should marry. I was a very wild young man." There was a moment's silence as I waited for him to expound upon this statement, and it stretched and grew. Finally, he looked at me with a gleam of humor in his eye.
"It is at this point that the loyal esquire is supposed to protest 'Oh, no, my lord, you could never be other than the industrious and responsible ruler you are! You could not possibly have been a rogue!'" I laughed, more at ease with him than I'd been in days.
"But I find it very easy to believe you were a scoundrel as a young man! Your bedtime stories hint at more than a passing knowledge of piracy!" He smiled ruefully.
"Alas, I am found out!" After a moment's deliberation, I made my move. "You should not have done that," he informed me, and showed me why, as well as suggested a couple of ways I could get out of the hole I'd dug myself. We played for a couple of moves without further conversation.
"Was your marriage arranged, my lord?" I asked him as he considered the board once more.
"Oh no, though Nimrien was on a list of ladies my father gave me that he considered suitable as potential consorts. I made him nervous--I was almost thirty, his only son, and still sowing wild oats with a vengeance. We grew up together. She was my friend long before she became my wife, and the only one who would dare tell the headstrong Heir of Dol Amroth that he was being an idiot. That, by the way, is an invaluable quality in a lover--it keeps you honest."
I contemplated the fact that I had thus far had no trouble telling Elrohir when I thought he was being provoking, and that he seemed to delight in pointing out my shortcomings to me. I wasn't sure if this was exactly what the Prince meant.
"If you have a great many questions about whether you are in love or not, then the odds are good that you are not," Imrahil continued. "Though the one question you should ask yourself is--'Does loving this person make me a better person?' For it is quite possible to love someone and be lessened or harmed by your love." He made his move after a moment's further consideration.
My thoughts turned then to Faramir. Under his tutelage I had learned to be a Ranger, learned courage and fortitude, gained the capacity to endure great hardship. He had taught me Elvish, and begun the process of turning the farm girl into a lady that the Prince was supposed to complete. And I did not think he had been harmed by my loving him, so by the Prince's criteria, he must have been a good person to love. I made my move in turn, and the Prince looked surprised.
"Well! You are learning!" He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the board.
"My lord?"
"Yes, Hethlin?"
"Why did you never remarry? Did your wife not wish it?" He started to answer somewhat absently, but after he made his move he gave me his undivided attention.
"Oh, no, quite the contrary--Nimrien told me before she died that she wanted me to find someone else."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Actually, I did look in earnest for a time. And what I found was that while there were any number of young women wanting to be the Princess of Dol Amroth, none of those ladies were interested in being a mother to my children. So I muddled along as mother and father both, and after they were grown, the whole thing seemed rather pointless."
"You were at the Morannon, and then that horrible orc arrow happened. Do you not have the same sort of feelings you were telling me the other soldiers have?" The Prince gave me a wry smile.
"You mean the part about wanting to prove to yourself you are alive and well in the best possible way?" I nodded, a bit pink about the cheeks.
"Ah me no, I got past that sort of foolishness a long time ago. Did more than my share of it in my youth, though. Guard yourself here." I moved, and his eyebrows quirked.
"I wish you wouldn't speak of yourself as if you were this old graybeard, sir."
"I am not a young man, Hethlin."
"But you hardly have one foot in the grave, either."
"Actually, a few days ago I did. If you had not called that Eagle, I would have died. And according to Lord Elrond, you put yourself in some danger doing it." The pink in my cheeks deepened to red.
"I didn't know that would happen. I just saw the Eagle, and had to try to call it--I was desperate. You looked so bad."
"I think I know you well enough now to say that even if you had known you could harm yourself, you would still have taken the risk. And while I deplore the fact that you could have been injured or killed saving me, I do thank you for my life." He took my hand where it lay beside the chess board, and raised it to his lips. With his other hand, he made his move.
"Checkmate." I looked down at the board and frowned, trying to determine just how he had routed me so handily this time.
"A funny way you have of showing your gratitude." The Prince chuckled at my disgruntled growl.
"I would do you no service by letting you win. I give no quarter on the battlefield, or on the chess board. If you ever defeat me on either, you'll know you earned your victory." He laid my hand back down gently, and gave me a hopeful look. "Shall we play again?"
That evening, we all sat to dinner at a farewell feast upon the lawn, not unlike the celebration that the twins and I had interrupted upon our arrival, except that this time long, beautifully carved trestle tables were set up, and the Elven musicians circulated among the tables, making sweet music. At the high table sat the Lord and Lady of Lorien. Upon Lord Celeborn's left hand sat Lord Elrond and his family, and upon Lady Galadriel's right hand sat the Prince, myself, and a tall, golden, magnificent elf who was introduced to me prior to dinner by Elrohir as Glorfindel. Thus was one question I had asked myself during our journey answered. My curiosity about Balrogs was also quickly satisfied by Elrohir, as he said it was not a subject I should discuss with Glorfindel. Rather intimidated, I smiled nervously at the very martial-seeming elf as we seated ourselves.
The Prince was dressed in Dol Amroth blue and a circlet studded with sapphires and looked, well, princely. As the King's representative, I was clad in my black and silver tabard and garments, mended of all their travel stains by the Elves. A circlet had been found for me as well--a slender thing with an eight-pointed star upon the front of it. It seemed a very elven piece of jewelry, but when I had gazed upon myself in a mirror before dinner, it had looked well enough upon my head.
Very conscious of my etiquette, I watched the high-born Elves and tried to emulate them. I'd spent many more meals in my life gnawing gobbets of meat off of sticks around a campfire than I had sitting to dinner in a formal setting, and my lapse in manners at breakfast several mornings ago had made me very self-conscious, particularly since it seemed that most of Caras Galadon was at this dinner. I did not want to make a fool of myself, and bring dishonor to Gondor. As a result, there was a knot in my stomach that kept me from fully enjoying the admittedly wonderful and delicate Elven food.
A little way into the dinner, the Prince leaned over, his head close to mine, and whispered in Westron into my ear.
"Relax, Hethlin. You're doing very well. If you weren't, I'd have told you by now." I gave him a grateful smile, whereupon he leaned past me, and addressed Lord Glorfindel in flawless Elvish.
"My lord, Lady Hethlin here has been a Ranger in the woods of Gondor for several years, and though she has some family in the North, has never had an opportunity to journey there. As I know that you are integral to the defense of Rivendell, and have had cause to work with the Dunedain, perhaps you could give her some idea of what life up there is like." The glorious golden Elf nodded kindly and began to address me in Westron, talking of orc-hunts and wolf-hunts in the North. This was a subject I felt comfortable speaking of, and before long I'd ceased eating not because I was nervous, but because Lord Glorfindel and I were busily diagramming out skirmishes we'd been in with nuts and grapes and fruit. He was very intrigued by the Mumak, and asked me many questions about them. I got the distinct impression that he thought a Mumak with a fully manned and armored war-tower upon it might, just might, possibly be an adequate opponent for him.
Once, I looked up and caught the Prince looking at me with a small smile and a twinkle in his eye, before he turned his attention back to the Lady Galadriel, and I had to admit to myself that I'd been handled most adroitly. I also saw Elrohir giving him a questioning look, that delicate elven eyebrow arched clear to his hairline. The dinner passed without further incident, and finally the Lord and Lady rose from their places, bidding the diners to stay and sing and dance. Elves hurried forward to begin removing the tables and dishes. Lord Glorfindel thanked me for a very interesting conversation, then strode off in the direction of a group of Elves I'd marked earlier as being of Elrond's household. I had not seen them much in evidence during my stay, but many of them were dark-haired, and they tended to group together.
"Hethlin, the Lady wishes to show me a wonder, and wants to know if you would like to come along," the Prince told me. He was getting stronger by the day, but still could not walk, and two elves had brought forward a chair sitting upon poles, that he might be carried.
"Do you wish me to, my lord?"
"You might find it enlightening." Elrohir came up at that moment, and slid his arm about my waist. He looked at his grandmother.
"The Mirror?" She nodded, very cool and austere of a sudden, even in the golden glow of the many silver lanterns.
"Do you want to go, Snowsteel?" he asked me.
"I think I should accompany the Prince, if he wishes it," I responded. He nodded, and made as if to start down the hill, but the Lady halted him with an upraised hand.
"Bide here, Elrohir. We will not be long." A look of surprise crossed his face, but as it had been with his grandfather, he accepted her stricture without protest.
"Yes, Grandmother." She gave him the tiniest of smiles.
"I promise that much of the evening will still remain for you to spend with your lady when we return." He nodded, and bowed, and left us to go to where his brother was sitting with a harp in his hands. The Prince indicated that I should assist him, and I put my arm about his waist and his arm about my shoulder, and he was able to move the couple of steps to the sedan chair and seat himself. Then one of the chair-bearers gave me a lantern to carry, and the Lady took another for herself. She gestured that I should follow the chair while she preceded it, and we started down the hill.
Only the faintest hint of blue upon the horizon showed where the sun had set, and the stars were bright. The city was rather quiet as we moved down the hill, away from the summit--truly it seemed that everyone who had not been to the dinner was now congregating upon the lawn for the dancing and singing. The Lady glided ahead of us noiselessly, her garments glittering palely. Even the chair-bearers with their burden were silent. I tried to walk as quietly as possible--the evening hush seemed to demand it.
The chair-bearers negotiated the stairs down to the garden without difficulty, though I was glad of my lantern. The hollow was dark indeed, and very quiet. The stars seemed to burn above us. The bearers brought the chair nigh to the pedestal that held the mirror, and set down their burden. I helped the Prince to his feet, and he made the step to the pedestal and braced himself upon it--gingerly at first, until he realized that it was well-anchored and would bear his weight. The Lady set her lantern down, picked up the ewer, carried it to the stream, and filled it with water. Then she returned, poured the water gracefully into the silver basin, and blew upon it. The water in the basin rippled in a rather peculiar manner, then became unnaturally still. The Lady spoke quietly in her low voice.
"We have spoken already, my lord Prince, of my Mirror, and what it does. So my question to you now is--is there some particular thing you would have shown to you, or do you wish to leave the Mirror free to work?"
"I have a thing I wish to see, Lady," said the Prince promptly and firmly. The Lady nodded, and turned her attention to me.
"Lady Hethlin, stand you here by him, in the event he should grow tired. You will not be able to see what he is seeing--the vision the Mirror grants is particular to the person using it. I will be able to see, for I will be directing the Mirror." I nodded in turn, and moved to stand beside the Prince. The Lady stood across the pedestal from the Prince, and directed him to look into her eyes.
"You need not speak aloud what it is you wish to see--simply think about it, and I will know." His grey eyes met hers, there was a moment's silence--and for the first time, I saw the Lady Galadriel look genuinely surprised.
"That is truly what you wish to see?" she asked him.
"Yes, lady, if it is possible."
"Some of it is possible, though I will have to assist you. To go so far back......." She took his hands in hers, and pressed them along the sides of the silver basin, her hands covering his. His weight upon his elbows, he leaned over the dark surface, and she did as well, their foreheads almost touching. "Do not touch the water," she warned him, then they both fell silent. I watched curiously. Light appeared to emanate from the basin, and played over both of their faces; the immortal and beautiful Elf lady, and the mortal Prince who had so nearly died, but when I looked into it I could see no light, but merely the stars shining in the night sky. It was a decidedly strange effect.
They looked into the Mirror for quite a long time, both gazes fixed raptly upon whatever it was they were looking at. Finally, the light faded, and the Lady raised her head. A moment later, the Prince did as well--and his legs promptly went out from under him. Fortunately, I was able to catch him, and at his request, ease him over to the chair, into which he sank with a sigh of relief.
"I am well enough," he reassured me, upon seeing my concerned look. "It has simply been a while since I was upon my feet for so long. But I would not have missed that for anything." He looked up and addressed Lady Galadriel. "It was worth being in peril of my life, lady, to see what you have shown me this evening."
She for her part seemed rather moved, though by what emotion I could not tell.
"I have upon rare occasions granted mortals the privilege of looking into the Mirror, and they almost always want one of two things--to see loved ones they have lost again, or to see the future that they might better discern what course of action to take about a matter. You choose neither--why?"
"My lady, my loved ones live brightly still in my memories, and I know that I will see them again one day--what use to view them once more in the Mirror? As for using the Mirror to determine how best to make Gondor or my own lands flourish--if men's hearts are true, and their arms strong, and they use the wits they were given by the One, then they will flourish without the use of prophecy. But this was an opportunity that will never come to me again, and I chose to use it to see what I could never have seen otherwise."
"Such wisdom is its own reward," said Lady Galadriel, and to my very great surprise, and that of the Prince's as well, I think, she glided over, stooped, took his face within her slender hands and kissed him on the brow.
"A stout defender of your kingdom you have been your whole life, Imrahil of Dol Amroth, and you will serve your new king well and faithfully for many years yet. And you will be rewarded, in ways you may not anticipate." Then she turned to me.
"And will you look in the Mirror, Hethlin called Snowsteel? You who believe that divination is never timely and useful?" I cast my eyes down, wondering if Lord Celeborn had told her of my words, or she had simply seen them in my mind.
"I will look, lady. And I would let the Mirror show me what it will." She nodded gravely.
"Very well then. Simply look into the water, and do not touch it." She did not move to position my hands and help me as she had the Prince. A little hesitantly, I leaned over the basin and looked in, seeing nothing but stars in night sky for a few moments. Then it seemed as if a grey veil had been drawn across the Mirror for a moment, and then the pictures came, so swiftly that it seemed I'd barely started looking at one before another came hard on its heels.
A young man who strongly resembled me, and who I realized was my father after a moment, sitting upon a huge boulder high upon a mountainside, seemingly eating lunch while a huge Eagle perched beside him. My father again, moving through a wood with another, more handsome man, talking and laughing with the apparent ease of long friendship. My father a third time, this time his arm bandaged, a younger version of my mother at his side, speaking to a younger and very concerned Aragorn. A much younger Prince Imrahil, standing in the prow of a ship, the spume flying over him, a smile of pure pleasure upon his face. Faramir, lying in wait in a ditch with Mablung. Faramir, dressed in black and looking ill, leaning against the door to what looked to be a library, his left hand bandaged. Eowyn in a garden with a black-haired toddler and another dark-haired baby in her arms. Elrohir and Elladan, riding armed up into the mountains. Elrohir, dressed in robes, standing in the doorway of a house with delicately carved arches, raising a hand in greeting. Elladan and Elrohir both, with Lord Celeborn, standing on a quay with a silver ship behind them. Prince Imrahil, his actual age now, sitting in a tent with his head bandaged, and an expression of grief so acute that I almost broke my contact with the Mirror to look and see if he were all right.
Then the visions changed, seemed to involve me more directly. I was on a grey horse, mail-clad, charging knee to knee down upon a rank of soldiers. Fighting back to back with someone in a forested area that looked like it might be Ithilien. I could not see my partner, but there was a glint of golden hair in the corner of my eye. Then I was lying on dusty ground, a brutal sun beating into my face, pinned by a dead mount, and struggling frantically to free myself. Riding slowly through what looked to be a large city on a pale and chill winter day, clad in a black velvet dress with something heavy upon my head, the King at my side. Standing behind the Queen and King in a room that was not of Gondorian architecture, again in a dress. Fighting a man in the livery of the Tower Guard, both of us using blunted swords. Dropping my bow, having spent my last arrow and going for my blade, in a narrow gap in what looked to be hills or mountains. I got the distinct impression that I did not expect to survive that one, that my enemies were still too numerous, and that all I hoped to do was to take as many of them down as I could before I fell myself......
With a gasp, I wrenched myself away from the Mirror.
"Hethlin, are you well?" Came the Prince's concerned question from beside me. I took a deep breath, and nodded. Lady Galadriel gave me a look which was, if not exactly compassionate, at least slightly warmer than her usual wont.
"Remember, lady, that if you leave the Mirror to work, it not only shows things that will be, but things that might be. And it can be difficult to determine which is which."
"I should have left such things to those who are wiser than I then, lady." She considered this for a moment.
"Perhaps. But you may find what you saw useful one day, even if you do not think so now." She gestured, and the chair bearers came forward, and lifted the Prince. I took up my lantern again, and she hers, and we began the long climb back up the hill.
When we reached the lawn, the party was at its height, the musicians playing dancing music, and the Elves winding about each other in graceful, intricate pattern dances. The Prince, whose eyes were still glowing from whatever he'd seen in the Mirror, expressed a desire to watch for a while, and was settled comfortably in out of the way of the dancers. He seemed to have recovered completely from his momentary collapse in the dell.
I looked about for Elrohir's dark head, but could not find it, and after walking all around the edge of the crowd, and receiving a grim look from Lord Elrond, decided to go on to bed. I liked dancing, but was more familiar with rustic human dances. What the Elves were doing looked complicated, and as if practice were required, and I was not in the mood to become an immortal object of amusement. So I mounted the stairs of the royal mallorn, and made my way to my flet. For some reason, the lantern was not lit, but after I stepped inside, I could discern a shape in my bed in the dim light, and a dark head upon my pillows.
"Why are you not downstairs dancing?" I asked Elrohir. "I looked for you." He stirred and rose up upon one elbow.
"Father was in a lecturing mood, and I was in no mood to be an audience. So I came here. How was the Mirror?" I began taking off my clothes and throwing them over the chair that was already full of his without answering. After a moment, he got up and padded noiselessly over to me.
"Are you well? Do you want to talk about it?" He laid his hands upon my shoulders. "Valar, Snowsteel, you are shivering."
"I should never have looked in the silly thing, but I didn't want to offend your grandmother. It's just as I always said--you don't learn anything useful, and you just get upset for no good reason." I finished hurriedly stripping off my clothes, and he led me back to the bed, and slipped under the covers with me. His arms came around me, and held me to him. I tucked my head under his chin.
"I think I saw the day I will die." His arms tightened, and his hand began stroking my back soothingly.
"Oh my poor dear. Surely you know that you can see things that are not going to happen?"
"So your grandmother says. If that's the case, it seems a useless exercise to me. I saw you, and Faramir, and Eowyn and the Prince. And I saw my father when he was a young man, and my mother too--that was a nice part. And then there were some other parts not so nice--mostly me fighting." Elrohir dropped a kiss on the top of my head.
"I wish she would stop dragging our guests down to that thing and just use it as a bird bath!" I giggled.
"That's what I thought it was when I first saw it."
"I know. Grandfather told me. It was the best laugh he'd had in decades."
"So glad I am to be an unending source of entertainment to the royal houses of Lorien and Imladris." He began nuzzling my neck.
"What did the Prince see?" he whispered into the crease of it, and I shivered for an entirely different reason.
"I'm not sure. He asked to see something in particular. Your grandmother was very impressed, said he was really wise. Whatever it was, he really enjoyed it. You have to figure," I grumbled, "that he'd do it right." Elrohir chuckled.
"You will be wise in time, Snowsteel." He then withdrew from me slightly, and gave me an unwontedly serious look, stroking my hair gently.
"Are you truly upset about this? If you are, we can simply sleep this night." I considered that possibility for a moment, then discarded it. We would not be able to be together like this upon the road, to the best of my knowledge, and after we reached Minas Tirith, who knew if we'd have the opportunity? Then I would be on my way to Dol Amroth, and we'd already had the Prince's dictate about that. I placed my lips close to his ear, and breathed into it, making him shiver in turn.
"I need to get the death out of my head. Show me what it is to be alive." His mouth came down on mine, his hands drifted coaxingly over my body, and he proceeded to do just that. Thus we spent our last evening in Lorien.